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United States Patent |
5,103,845
|
Matthews
|
April 14, 1992
|
Manicure shield
Abstract
A manicure shield for restraining loose sculptured nail chips to protect a
manicurist and a customer which includes a free-standing enclosure having
a first opening in the rear of the enclosure sized to allow the passage of
the customer's hand and a second opening in the front of the enclosure
sized to permit manicuring of the customer's fingernails by the
manicurist, where the free-standing enclosure is structured such that
free-flying chips produced during the manicuring operation are shielded
from the faces and bodies of the customer and manicurist. The manicure
shield can be, for example, an accordion-like collapsible design or a
box-like foldable design.
Inventors:
|
Matthews; Lynn M. (1676 Glenshire, Canton, MI 48188)
|
Appl. No.:
|
607318 |
Filed:
|
October 31, 1990 |
Current U.S. Class: |
132/73 |
Intern'l Class: |
A45D 029/00 |
Field of Search: |
132/73,73.5,319,333,285
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
2218296 | Oct., 1940 | Perras | 132/73.
|
2378935 | Jun., 1945 | Kraft | 132/73.
|
2807270 | Sep., 1957 | Patterson | 132/285.
|
4967775 | Nov., 1990 | Kaiser | 132/73.
|
Foreign Patent Documents |
201107 | Nov., 1986 | EP | 132/73.
|
303794 | Feb., 1989 | EP | 132/73.
|
Primary Examiner: Manciene; Gene
Assistant Examiner: Lynch; Michael
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cargill; Lynn E.
Claims
I claim:
1. A manicure shield for restraining loose sculptured nail chips to protect
a manicurist and a customer, comprising:
a free-standing enclosure having an accordion-like structure formed in part
of flexible material which enables the structure to be collapsed for
storage with a first opening in the rear of the enclosure sized to allow
the passage of the customer's hand and a second opening in the front of
the enclosure sized to permit manicuring of the customer's fingernails by
the manicurist, said free-standing enclosure structured such that
free-flying chips produced during the manicuring operation are shielded
from the faces and bodies of the customer and manicurist.
2. A manicure shield for restraining loose sculptured nail chips to protect
the manicurist and her customer, comprising:
an accordion-like structure including a skeleton of ribs for supporting
flexible material, said structure being substantially
semi-spherically-shaped when expanded and flat when collapsed and having a
hinged end at either extremity of the skeletal ribs for permitting opening
and closing of the accordion structure, said accordion-like structure
having a first opening in the rear of the structure sized to allow the
passage of the customer's hand and a second opening in the front of the
structure sized to permit manicuring of the customer's fingernails by the
manicurist, said accordion-like structure formed such that free-flying
chips produced during the manicuring operation are shielded from the faces
and bodies of the customer and the manicurist.
3. The manicure shield of claim 2, wherein said first opening in the rear
of the accordion-like structure is semi-circularly-shaped.
4. The manicure shield of claim 2, wherein said second opening in the front
of said accordion-like structure is from about 3 to about 10 times larger
than said first opening.
5. The manicure shield of claim 2, wherein said accordion-like structure
includes mesh material supported between said skeleton of ribs.
6. The manicure shield of claim 2, wherein said skeleton of ribs includes
consecutively smaller concentric semi-circular ribs which nest one within
another to provide a flat structure when collapsed.
7. The manicure shield of claim 2, further comprising a flat bottom
attached to the skeleton of ribs.
8. The manicure shield of claim 2, wherein said skeleton of ribs includes a
plurality of equally-sized semi-circular ribs which stack up when said
shield is in a collapsed form.
9. A manicure shield for restraining loose sculptured nail chips to protect
the manicurist and her customer, comprising:
a box-like configuration having triangular sides, a rectangular back and an
upper rectangular flap downwardly projecting from the apexes of the
triangular sides, wherein said triangular sides and said upper rectangular
flap are hinged to said rectangular back, said box-like configuration
having a first opening in said rectangular back sized to allow the passage
of the customer's hand and a second opening in the front of the
configuration sized to permit manicuring of the customer's fingernails by
the manicurist, said configuration structured such that free-flying chips
produced during the manicuring operation are shielded from the faces and
bodies of the customer and the manicurist.
10. The manicure shield as in claim 9, wherein said first opening in the
rectangular back is semi-circularly shaped.
11. The manicure shield as in claim 9, wherein said second opening in the
front of the configuration is from about 3 to 10 times larger than said
first opening.
12. The manicure shield as in claim 9, wherein said box-like configuration
is formed primarily of a transparent material.
13. The manicure shield as in claim 9, wherein said box-like configuration
further comprises a flat bottom hingedly attached to said rectangular
back.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to devices to assist in manicuring
activities and more particularly relates to a manicure shield which
protects the customer and the manicurist from flying pieces of sculptured
nails.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the field of nail care, resinous nail products, such as those made of
acrylic, are used to prepare what is called "sculptured fingernails",
which are artificial polymeric fingernails formed on and adhered to the
natural nails. These sculptured nails are typically longer and more
beautiful than the person's natural nails and are capable of being painted
with fingernail polish or left natural. Since the polymeric nail is firmly
attached to the fingernail, it moves with natural nail growth.
Consequently there is, therefore, a gap formed at the base of the natural
nail free of the polymeric nail. This gap is periodically patched with new
material by the manicurist. At the time of patching or repairing the
sculptured nails (also called "filling"), the end of the sculptured nail
near the base of the fingernail is often lifted off the natural nail in an
unbecoming fashion. Furthermore, there is a danger of mold and fungus
growing underneath the nail which has become unattached, as well as the
possibility of the polymeric nails breaking away from the fingernail. Wet
conditions are conducive to such growth. Therefore, all loose nail
portions must be removed to alleviate the probability of such fungus or
mold growth and also they provide a clean surface for applying the new
nail material.
The manicurist, at the time of repairing the sculptured nail, will first
clip the polymeric nail at the lifted end to smooth the surface in
preparation for applying additional polymeric material. The sculptured
nail, being hard and of low flexibility, often flies outwardly with great
force when clipped. These free-flying pieces of material have been known
to fly in the faces or at the bodies of the customer and the manicurist,
sometimes causing injury. Eye injuries and subsequent eye infections have
been known to be caused by flying pieces of nail.
To guard against possible eye injury caused by these free-flying pieces,
the customer and/or manicurist have been known to wear safety goggles.
However, safety goggles presents a problem when the goggles smear the
wearer's eye makeup. In addition, the goggles do nothing to protect the
rest of the wearer's face or body and do nothing to protect bystanders
from flying chip of nails.
Relevant products in the manicuring field are found described in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 4,289,152, 4,359,060, and 4,742,836. U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,152 issued
to Fuhre on Sept. 15, 1981, discloses a fingernail cleaning apparatus
which includes a housing with an aperture for inserting a finger. The
apparatus also includes a nozzle member which provides an edge for pushing
back the skin at the tip of the finger so that pressurized liquid from a
pump can be directed against the inside surface of the nail instead of
being deflected by the skin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,060 issued to Walker on Nov. 16, 1982, discloses an
apparatus for dispensing nail polish and remover from the bottles of same
without spilling the contents over rugs, clothes or furniture. The
apparatus is comprised of a housing residing atop a base, the housing
having two opposed side walls, the remaining sides being open to allow
access to the bottles which are held within pivotally mounted receptacles
on the interior of the side walls.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,836 issued to Buehler on May 10, 1988, discloses a
fingernail device which includes a receptacle having a small diameter
fluid passageway positioned at an angle to the base of the receptacle. The
passageway has a nozzle which directs fluid at a downward angle to the
upper surface of the base of the receptacle. Joined to the upper surface
of the base of the receptacle is a fluid deflector. The deflector acts to
intercept any cleaning fluid which may splash from, or spray out from the
receptacle. None of these above-described patents is directed at shielding
people from flying pieces of sculptured nails.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a manicure
shield in accordance with the present invention which protects the
customer, manicurist, and any on-lookers from flying pieces of sculptured
nails clipped from the customer's nails.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a manicure shield
which rests securely on a flat surface, is easy to assemble and can be
assembled before the customer arrives, and can be made to be easily
disassembled into a relatively flat piece for storage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, these and
other objects and advantages are addressed as follows. A manicure shield
capable of protecting people from flying pieces of sculptured nail chips
includes a free-standing enclosure having a first opening in the rear of
the enclosure sized to allow the passage of the customer's hand and a
second opening in the front of the enclosure sized to permit manicuring of
the customer's fingernails by the manicurist where the free-standing
enclosure is structured such that free-flying chips produced during the
manicuring operation are shielded from the faces and bodies of the
customer and manicurist.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a manicure shield is
disclosed which includes an accordion-like structure including a skeleton
of ribs for supporting flexible material where the structure is
substantially semi-spherically-shaped when expanded and flat when
collapsed and has a hinge at either extremity of the skeletal ribs for
permitting opening and closing of the accordion structure. This embodiment
rests securely on a flat surface, is easy to assemble, can be assembled
before the customer arrives, and can be easily collapsed into a flat piece
for storage.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, a manicure shield is disclosed
which is a box-like configuration having triangular sides, a rectangular
back, and an upper rectangular flap downwardly projecting from the apexes
of the triangular sides, wherein the triangular sides and the upper
rectangular flap are hinged to the rectangular back. This embodiment also
rests securely on a flat surface, is easy to assemble, can be assembled
before the customer arrives, and can be easily collapsed into a flat piece
for storage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The nature and extent of the present invention will be clear from the
following detailed description of the particular embodiments thereof,
taken in conjunction with the appendant drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a plan view of box-type manicure shield 10 before assembly
constructed in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of box-type manicure shield 10 of FIG. 1
fully assembled with a customer's hand projecting through opening 18.
FIG. 3 shows the back side view of another embodiment of the inventive
device where manicure shield 30 is an accordion-like structure.
FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of manicure shield 30 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of another design of the manicure shield.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring first to FIG. 1, a box-type manicure shield 10 is shown in the
unfolded disassembled state. Manicure shield 10 has rectangular back 16
having a semi-circular opening 18, triangular sides 14, upper rectangular
flap 12, and rectangular bottom 20. Triangular sides 14, upper flap 12,
and bottom 20 are each attached to rectangular back 16 with hinges 22, for
example, flexible hinges such as those formed of cloth tape.
Manicure shield 10 is prepared for use by folding triangular sides 14
inwardly, folding bottom 20 upwardly, and folding top flap downwardly to
rest on folded-in triangular sides 14. A customer's hand is shown
projecting through opening 18. The front opening defined by triangular
sides 14 bottom 20 and upper flap 12 is the opening into which the
manicurist can insert his/her hand and work with the customer's hand. The
front opening is preferably from about 3 to about 10 times larger than
opening 18. Bottom 20 is optional for this invention as manicure shield 10
would rest securely on a flat surface by the bottom edges of back 16 and
triangular sides 14. The inclusion of bottom 20, however, provides a
surface for catching many of the dropped pieces of sculptured nails. With
or without bottom 20, manicure shield 10 is considered "free-standing" in
that it independently rests securely on a flat surface without rolling or
toppling over. Back 16, sides 14, and top flap 12 effectively shield the
customer, manicurist and other people from flying pieces of clipped
sculptured nails. Top flap 12 angularly projecting down in the direction
of the manicurist, especially effectively shields the manicurist from
flying pieces of nail. Manicure shield 10 is preferably formed of a
transparent, rigid and tough material such as LUCITE. The transparency
allows the manicurist and customer to easily see the work area and
manicuring activities.
FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of the invention, accordion-like manicure
shield 30 having a skeleton of semi-circular ribs 32 which are hinged at
hinges 34 on each end of the ribs. Manicure shield 30, also free-standing,
has a semi-circular opening 36 at the rear side for insertion of a
customer's hand. Skeleton of ribs 32, formed of, for example, metal,
supports flexible material 40 which is formed of, for example, fine-screen
mesh or transparent cloth. The flexible material may be glued or otherwise
attached to the ribs. Skeleton of ribs 32, when expanded as shown, forms a
semi-spherical shape leaving a second opening in manicure shield 30 for
the insertion of the manicurist's hands for working on the customer's hand
inside the enclosure defined by manicure shield 30. The second opening is
preferably from about 3 to about 10 times larger than the opening at the
back of the shield. Shown at the base of manicure shield 30 is optional
flat bottom 38 upon which the manicure shield rests and which can catch
dropped pieces of sculptured nails. Each consecutive rib of the skeleton
of ribs 32 is sized slightly smaller than the previous rib so that
skeleton of ribs 32 is collapsible to a flat piece (not shown). FIG. 4
shows the reverse side of the device of FIG. 3. In an alternative design,
the ribs of the skeleton may be of the same size, so that when the
accordion-like structure is collapsed, the ribs stack up. In this design,
the collapsed form is still relatively flat and uses little space.
FIG. 5 illustrates yet another design of the manicure shield without an
upper shield piece. In addition, I also envision a similar design in which
a forward slanting shield piece may be inserted into a wooden block such
that a hand may be inserted therethrough. This embodiment may not include
any sides.
Thus, there is provided in accordance with the present invention, a
manicure shield which protects people, e.g., the customer and the
manicurist, from flying pieces of rigid polymeric sculptured nails. The
shield reduces the injuries and annoyances cause by fast-flying pieces of
plastic. The manicure shield of this invention is easily manufactured,
easy to assemble and disassembles to a flat piece by collapsing or folding
for storage. The shield rests securely on a flat surface, such as a
manicurist's table, without rolling or toppling over, and the shield may
be assembled before the customer arrives so that the customer only has to
insert his/her hand into the opening and does not have to wait for
assembly.
While my invention has been described in terms of a specific embodiment, it
must be appreciated that other embodiments could readily be adapted by one
skilled in the art. Accordingly, the scope of my invention is to be
limited only by the following claims.
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